Ballast-burning machine.



L. L. McCULLOUGH. BALLAST BURNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, I913.

Patented Apr. 13, L915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, 0. C4

L. L. McCULLOUGH.

BALLAST'BURNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20, 1913.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W afiw k NQ QQAyMJ $76M F ML Mug THE NON: PETERS 00., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

LAVJ'RE'NCE L. IVIQCULLGUGH, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

BALLAST-BURNING MACHINE.

Application filed January 20, 1913.

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Be it known that I, Lnwnnnon L. MOCUL- LOUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of ll yandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballast- Burning h achines, of which the following is a specification.

1n burning ballast for railways or other similar purposes, it is customary to have an open kiln or pit in which the ballast is burned by depositing successive layers of coal and clay upon a sloping bank. The heat from the burning coal burns or vitrifies the clay until it is of proper consistency for ballast. It is more or less customary to form a top along the upper portion of the face of the fire. lifter a fire has been well started the upper surface of the completed ballast will lie comparatively fiat and the top just mentioned constitutes a slight upward extension of the face of the fire above this flat surface.

The present invention relates to a. machine or apparatus for breaking or stirring up the face of the fire, in order to assist the burning action and for pulling over the top onto the face.

among the objects of the present invention are; to provide a machine or devices for this purpose which may be readily utilized for breaking up or working the face of the fire and also for pulling top, such operations being done without the necessity of reversing or changing the raking or dragging and top pulling device; to improve the general construction of such apparatus, and to provide such novel features and improvements as will be more fully clescribed and claimed hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of a machine illustrating its method of operation; Fig. 2 is a front view of the rake or dragging device; Fig. 3 is a side view of the same; Fig. 41 is a plan view; and, Fig. 5 is a side view with parts broken away to show the interior construction.

As shown in these drawings, 6 indicates acar, such as is commonly used for ballast burning purposes, having an outwardly extending boom 7 and a mast 8. The car is preferably counter-balanced in any well known way to support the boom and connected parts. The implement or device 9 for working the fire and pulling the top Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. is, iais.

Serial No. 743,055.

comprises a plate or pan, having a bottom 10 and sides 11. The bottom is provided at both ends with strong teeth or plows, the ones at the front end of the implement (the end toward the car) are indicated by the numeral 12, and the ones at the back end, by the numeral 13. The back of the implement is provided with a door 141 which is pivoted at to the sides 11 adjacent to the top of the pan. This door is free to wing inwardly, but is prevented from swinging out by any suitable stop, such as the angle iron 15, which extends across the pan and against which the lower end of the door will strike. A bail 16 is pivoted at 1? to the sides 11 and is provided with a sheave 18. The swinging of the bucket or pan with respect to the bail is limited by forward stops 19 and rear stops 20 on the sides 11. A chain or cable 21 is attached to the sides 11, and is also attached to a drag line 23, which line leads to a winding drum 24- on the car 6. This line is preferably guided by means of a guide roller 25 in the particular arrangement shown in order to give as much of a downward pull on the line 23 as possi ble. The chain 21 is in the form of a loop and the two side portions thereof are connected by means of chains or cables 26, to the upper horizontal portion of the bail 16. A. second cable 27 is connected at the back of the pan or shovel as indicated at 28, and passes up over a sheave 29 at the outer end of the boom 7, thence down and under the sheave 18, then up and over guide sheaves 30 and 31 on the mast 8, and then down to a second winding drum 32 on the car 6. The winding drums 241 and 32 are preferably the regular winding drums of any ordinary or preferred form of hoisting engine. When the apparatus is used. for pulling over the top which is indicated at 33 in Fig. 1, the operator slacks off on the line 23 and draws in on the line 27 until the bucket-drag reaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. He then slacks off on the line 27 and draws in on the line 23 which pulls the bucket-drag forward or toward the car. This causes the bucket-drag to gather or loosen a certain amount of the top and pull it over onto the face of the fire. During this movement the bucket may become filled and the material is held therein by the swinging door 14:. As soon as the bucket arrives over the face of the fire it may be fully dumped by pulling in on the cable 27,

which causes the rear end of the bucket to be raised. The bucket is again swung over to digging position, and the operation repeated as often as necessary to pull the top, the car being moved along the trackas fast as necessary to bring the bucket-drag into successive positions longitudinally of the There are several operations connected with the proper working of the face of the fire, all of which may be done by means of this apparatus. For instance if it is desired to scoop mud or unburned material out at the bottom of the'face, as at a point indicated at 34, the cable 27 is slackened and the drag line 23 pulled in until the bucketdrag arrives at a point slightly above the foot of the fire, at which time the bucket swings over until the stop 20 strikes against the bail and the bucket is approximately in vertical position, then by letting it down until the teeth or plows engage with the ma terial, the material may be scooped out by drawing in on the cable 23.

If it is desired to break up the" face of the fire, then with the bucket still in substantially vertical position, the cables may be so manipulated as to raise it above the fire and let it drop down until the teeth 12 strike into the face. Then, if desired, the face can be further loosened at such point by drawing in on the cable 23.

The face of the fire may be plowed or raked by slacking off on the cable 23 and drawing in on the cable 27, which will draw the bucket-drag up the face of the fire as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The teeth will then engage with the material and loosen or drag the same, and any ma terial passing over the teeth will go directly through the bucket as the door 14.

I will swing inwardly to allow it to pass and Copies of this patent may be obtained for the material will then slide out at the other end.

It will thus be seen that by means of my the necessity of changing or reversing the operating implement, as is now commonly done with drags used in connection with ballast burning.

Having thus described my invention, which however, I do not wish to limit to the particular arrangement shown and described, eXcept as specified in the appended claims, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An implement for working ballast fires comprising an open ended bucket, a swinging door for one end of said bucket, means for preventing the door from swinging outwardly, teeth at either end of said bucket, a bail pivoted to said bucket and means for limiting the swinging movement of the bail with respect to the bucket.

2. In an apparatus for burning ballast fires, the combination of a pan comprising bottom and side members, a door pivoted to the tops of the sides adjacent to one end, a stop for preventing the door from swinging outwardly, plows at either end of said pan, a bail pivoted to the sides, stops for limiting the swinging movement of the bail, a chain or pulling member fastened to the front end of said pan, and connections between said chain and the upper portion of the bail.

LAWRENCE L. MGCULLOUGH.

V. J. SERVICE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

